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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-0) at STEPHENS (Mo.) STARS (0-0)
Saturday, August 20 | 12:00 p.m.
Silverthorne Arena | Columbia, Mo.
 

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TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-0) vs. CENTRAL METHODIST (Mo.) EAGLES (0-0)
Saturday, August 20 | 2:00 p.m.
Silverthorne Arena | Columbia, Mo.

This Week    
• The 2016-17 TIU athletic calendar gets underway this Saturday, when Trinity Volleyball heads west to take on Stephens (Mo.) and Central Methodist (Mo.) in a tri-match. The Trojans face off against the host Stars at noon, with a match against Central Methodist to follow.
• Streaming video of Saturday's opening match will be available live online, and can be found on the schedule page at TIUTrojans.com.

Quick Notes    
• The Trojans look to improve upon last season's 3-21 record, with a total of nine returners, including six players who played in all 24 matches in 2015.
• Trinity will make its first-ever appearance against Stephens when the two sides meet on Saturday.
• TIU and Central Methodist have met once previously, when the Eagles took a four-set win over the Trojans last season on Oct. 10.
• Junior Alida Knudtson returns as the team's leader in kills, averaging 2.31 per set last year. Knudtson finished 2015 with a team-leading 194 kills and a .113 hitting percentage.
• Junior hitter Lexie Voss rejoins the Trojans after an injury-shortened sophomore campaign. The Salem, Wisc. native averaged 3.06 kills per set with a .220 hitting percentage through six matches last season.
• The team's starting libero from last season returns, in Becca Kowalczuk. Retaining her starting role as a junior this year, Kowalczuk was the team leader with 3.49 digs per set.
• Over the past nine seasons, Trinity is 3-14 on the opening day of the season.
• TIU Volleyball was one of four programs from Trinity International to be selected as an NAIA Scholar-Team. To earn the NAIA Scholar-Team Award, all varsity student-athletes must have an average cumulative GPA above 3.00. The volleyball Trojans led the way, posting a department-high 3.34 average GPA.
• Last season saw a program-record six student-athletes earn CCAC All-Academic honors. Marissa Boelter, Alida Knudtson, Becca Kowalczuk, Mickayla Staal, and Karlijn Van Gaalen earned the award for the first time, while 2015 senior Suzanne Knudtson was a two-time honoree.
• The program also extended its streak of having an NAIA Scholar-Athlete on the roster, in Suzanne Knudtson. The Trojans have had at least one Scholar-Athlete in each of the past four seasons, the longest such run in program history.

Last Time vs. Central Methodist
• Mickayla Staal led the Trojans with six kills, while Marissa Boelter recorded nine digs in a four-set loss to the Central Methodist Eagles in the final game of the Hannibal-LaGrange Tourney on Oct. 9-10, 2015.
• The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead with 25-7 and 25-9 set victories, before the Trojans rallied to take the third, 30-28.

Trojan Volleyball History
• Since 2006, TIU Volleyball has an all-time record of 137-218 (.386).
• Trinity has claimed two CCAC regular season championships (2004, 2006), and one CCAC Tournament title (2004).
• The Trojans have made four appearances at the NCCAA National Championships, most recently in 2010. Trinity holds a 6-10 record in pool play in the national tournament, with their deepest run coming in 2005, falling to Bethel (Ind.) in the national semifinal.

Scouting the Opponents
Stephens
• The Stars finished with a 10-22 record last season, finishing 10th in the 13-team American Midwest Conference with a 3-9 mark in league play.
• Senior middle hitter Kerri Kircher was named an All-AMC Honorable Mention selection for the second time. Kircher was the team leader with 2.49 kills per set and 89 total blocks over 109 sets.

Central Methodist
• The Eagles matched their highest win total in over a decade during the 2015 season, going 26-10 overall, finishing 7th in the Heart of America Conference with a 5-6 conference record.
• Three all-conference players return this season, in outside hitter Darcy Latham, libero Erin Dodd, and middle blocker Madison Bond.
• As a team last season, Central Methodist dealt out a total of 245 service aces, good for 12th most in the NAIA. 

Career Milestones
• With 340 career kills, Mickayla Staal is the active team leader. Marissa Boelter has recorded the most career digs, with 475.
• Becca Kowalczuk (2.78 digs per set) and Boelter (2.55) rank 8th and 9th respectively on TIU's career digs-per-set list (since 2007).

Up Next
• The Trojans continue their season-opening road trip next Friday and Saturday, when they compete in the Michigan-Dearborn Tournament.
• Trinity will face off against four Michigan programs over two days, beginning with the host Wolverines on Aug. 26 at 2:00 p.m.